Christianity Without Compromise: Rebuilding Faith Around Jesus Alone

Women in the Bible may seem like side characters, but the problem may be the way Scripture has been taught rather than the text itself. Jessica L.M. Jenkins, Bible teacher, author, speaker, and host of the Women of the Bible in Context podcast, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how church language, cultural assumptions, and incomplete teaching have obscured w...

Many Christians assume the best way to defend the Christian faith is by proving Christianity with arguments, but that approach can actually distort the faith it pretends to protect. In this solo episode of Christianity Without Compromise , Jake Doberenz shares how a lifelong passion for Christian apologetics eventually gave way to a deeper understanding of faith as allegiance, spiritual formation,...

When church leaders protect institutions instead of wounded people, many Christians want to know what happens to faith after betrayal, abuse, and spiritual disillusionment. Chantal McKinney, author of Following Jesus Beyond Church Walls , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss surviving sexual harassment inside a progressive Christian denomination and the devastat...

Many Christians claim to love the Bible, yet modern Christianity often uses Scripture as ammunition for culture wars, political tribes, and theological fear instead of transformation through Jesus. Richard Beck, psychologist, theologian, and professor, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why anxious Christians struggle to read the Bible well and how fear shapes...

Most Christians believe loving neighbors matters, but everyday life quietly trains people toward distraction, fear, contempt, and isolation instead. Brittany Tausen, social psychologist and professor, and Katie M. Douglass, practical theologian and professor, are on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how psychology and theology together reveal the hidden obstacles t...

Church trauma and abuse leave many Christians convinced their story is too broken to redeem. Mary DeMuth is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss surviving childhood sexual abuse, navigating years of complex trauma, and why healing is usually slow, painful, and deeply communal. Mary shares how unhealthy patterns can feel safer than freedom, why Christians often rush...

In many corners of Christianity, being right has become more important than loving people well. Jake Doberenz is on Christianity Without Compromise to discuss why Christian knowledge without love ultimately damages the church and distorts the Gospel. Drawing from 1 Corinthians, Jake explores how the Corinthian church elevated wisdom, debate, and theological certainty while neglecting love. He unpa...

Deconstruction has become one of the most polarizing conversations in Christianity, but many Christians are leaving church because the faith they inherited didn’t produce good fruit. Tommy Preson Phillips, musician, pastor, and co-author of Invisible Jesus , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how doubt, science, church culture, and evangelical certainty pushed...

Church abuse continues to infiltrate Christian communities, though many refuse to confront it. Johnna Harris, co-host of the Bodies Behind the Bus podcast, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how patterns of church abuse develop and persist within Western evangelical spaces. Johnna explains how systems prioritize institutional protection over truth. She unpacks...

Many expressions of Christianity begin with a distorted view of human nature, framing identity primarily around sin rather than goodness. Marty Solomon, host of the BEMA Podcast and author of The Gospel of Being Human , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why this common Christian framework misses the Bible’s actual starting point. Marty explains how beginning...

On this episode of Christianity Without Compromise , originally recorded live, Kate Boyd (author and founder of The Remember Table), Tiffany Yecke Brooks (author and professor) and Loren Richmond Jr (podcaster and hospital chaplain) join host Jake Doberenz for a discussion on labels, identity, and faith. In this episode, Kate Boyd reflects on how labels both comfort and constrain, often shaping fa...

We know Christians are supposed to give to those in need, but should effectiveness be considered in how we change lives? J.D. Bauman, co-author of All the Lives You Can Change , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how Christians can steward their resources with greater impact and intentionality. J.D. explains how effective altruism reframes generosity by focusi...

Christian culture often teaches that faith must be earned, but this episode challenges why Christian identity so easily becomes performance. Kristen LaValley, author and speaker, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how performance-driven faith forms in church culture and why it leaves many feeling disconnected from God. Kristen traces how transactional beliefs,...

Men can say they support women in ministry all they want - but to truly support women requires action. Dr. Rob Dixon, author of Allies in Ministry , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how men can actively support women in ministry through everyday actions and leadership choices. Rob explains the gap between believing in women in ministry and living it out, sho...

Efficiency is not a Gospel value. Jake Doberenz, host of Christianity Without Compromise, is on Christianity Without Compromise discussing how modern culture's obsession with efficiency into Christian faith is at odds with the message of Jesus. Jake explains how the Gospel is not about maximizing outcomes but about embodying a slower, costly way of living that prioritizes people over productivity,...

Christian deconstruction doesn’t have to be the end of faith; it could be the beginning! Dr. Tiffany Yecke Brooks, author of To Rebehold the Stars , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why and how faith deconstruction can lead to intentional spiritual formation. Tiffany reframes deconstruction as a necessary but incomplete process, arguing that language, imagin...

Comfort has become a cultural goal and the loss of Christian courage may be one of the hidden costs. Dr. O. Alan Noble, associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of the forthcoming To Live Well , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why the recovery of Christian courage is essential in a distracted and disillusioned culture. Alan e...

“Love your neighbor” is one of the most quoted teachings in Christianity, yet it is often practiced in ways that reinforce division. Amar D. Peterman, theologian and author of Becoming Neighbors, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why Christian neighbor love is frequently misunderstood and how it can be reimagined in polarized communities. Amar shares how Jesu...

Many Christians have reduced the Church to a building, a service, or a weekly ritual—missing the deeper call of Christian faith. Matthew G. Mattson, author of Cathedrals of Connection and founder of the Between ministry, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss why the Church is not primarily an institution but a sacred space created whenever two people truly connec...

Winning elections, winning debates, winning culture wars, and even winning converts. In this solo episode of Christianity Without Compromise , Jake Doberenz confronts the uncomfortable question at the heart of much of American Christianity: what if many of the wins being celebrated are not wins that Jesus would want? We unpack how metrics borrowed from politics and business have shaped how the Chu...

Some forms of Christianity frame difference as dangerous—so empathy and curiosity are viewed with suspicion. But this week on Christianity Without Compromise , Liz Charlotte Grant, Christian Century columnist, is on the show with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how genuine curiosity—and even disagreement—can be acts of faithfulness. They talk about the power of talking with those you disagree with,...

Should you say something when your church goes toxic—or stay quiet to keep the peace? On Christianity Without Compromise , Amy Fritz, host of the Untangled Faith podcast, joins Jake Doberenz to unpack the spiritual, emotional, and relational weight of speaking out. Drawing from her own journey from rule-following Christian student to institutional whistleblower, Amy shares what it takes to tell th...

Christians have too often talked about abortion with labels instead of love. Angela Weszely, co-founder of ProGrace and author of Becoming ProGrace: Expanding the Abortion Conversation Beyond Life Versus Choice , joins Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to explore a faithful, grace-filled approach to abortion rooted in the teachings of Jesus. In this conversation, Angela expla...

Behind the lights, fog machines, and polished sermons lies a darker reality in megachurches. Scott Latta, award-winning journalist and author of Gods of the Smoke Machine , is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how evangelical megachurches create environments where spiritual abuse thrives. Drawing from personal experience and deep reporting, Scott outlines the pa...

Much of what passes for Christian marriage teaching has left couples confused, disconnected, and harmed—especially women. Sheila Wray Gregoire, author and researcher behind The Great Sex Rescue , joins Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to unpack how evangelical sex and marriage advice went so wrong. Drawing from large-scale survey data, Gregoire explains how obligation-based...